<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>PR and Business 101 by Gayle (gay_le_forcewinds)</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27947093">PR and Business 101</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/gay_le_forcewinds/pseuds/Gayle'>Gayle (gay_le_forcewinds)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>TrobedTV [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Community (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/F, M/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 10:14:18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,365</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27947093</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/gay_le_forcewinds/pseuds/Gayle</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>filler chapter for before the film festival</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Annie Edison/Britta Perry, Troy Barnes &amp; Shirley Bennett &amp; Annie Edison &amp; Abed Nadir &amp; Britta Perry &amp; Jeff Winger, Troy Barnes/Abed Nadir</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>TrobedTV [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2046644</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>PR and Business 101</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Now that they'd shown the movie to the group, it was time to show it to the rest of the world. Abed sat at his computer running several copies of the movie onto DVDs, some with the behind-the-scenes stuff, some not. Adding captions delayed the process a little bit, but it was worth it. Once he made a good amount, he started cutting together scenes from the movie to make the trailer.</p><p>Troy did what he usually did, taking care of him and helping out during his breaks, sometimes having to force him to take one so he wouldn't work himself to the bone.</p><p>Unfortunately though, he couldn't do it with just Troy as a lot more went into publicizing the movie than just making and selling copies of it. They'd have to come up with concept art for the DVD's case, have someone help them design it, and actually get it in stores.</p><p>Annie did a pretty good job as their camera woman, and he could tell that she liked helping people, so while she was off work, he asked her the big question. "Would you wanna help me and Troy with releasing our movies?" <br/>
Annie's eyes widened. "Like, just this one, or all of them?"<br/>
Abed smiled fondly at Annie's clear excitement and commitment despite him and his boyfriend just starting out with their business, if it could even be called that. "If this one goes well, then yeah, all of them." <br/>
Annie covered the phone so she could squeal. "You want me on your team?" <br/>
Abed laughed when he heard the muffled screams. Annie wasn't exactly the best at being calm, not that he minded. He liked it when people were unabashedly passionate.<br/>
"Yeah. Might need Britta and the others, too. Not sure. But I know this process is going to be far too much for just two people to do." <br/>
"What have you guys already got done?" <br/>
Abed looked around at his desk full of DVDs and such. "Mainly been just making copies of the movie. I need somebody to make more professional packaging for them and get them in stores. I'm working on the trailer right now." <br/>
"Oh, so mainly just help with advertising?"<br/>
"Mhm, yeah. I know you're good with business and communications, what with your internship, but do you know any like, concept artists?" Abed almost fell asleep on his keyboard, only to groan when he hit his head on it just a bit too hard. "Damn it, why can't I be immortal?" he muttered. <br/>
She snickered. "Abed, I'm gonna see about that and call you back. I think you need a nap."</p><p>Troy took the phone out of Abed's hand and hung it up. He then sighed and picked him up, carrying him into their shared bedroom to tuck him in. Abed was, of course, incredibly light. Troy was pretty strong too, since he played football in highschool. He could probably benchpress his scrawny ass boyfriend. <br/>
Abed wouldn't admit it, but he liked being carried around and taken care of the way only Troy could. He was the only one that saw him all overwhelmed and exhausted like this. He'd always swear he was fine and that he could stay up just a little longer to finish whatever he was working on, but of course, soon as Troy scooped him into his sculpted arms, he'd go all limp and unconscious. He was always so adorable when he slept. <br/>
Troy turned off the lights, fluffed his hair and  kissed his forehead. "I'll take it from here, Inspector." he said in that sickeningly sweet tone that always made Abed melt.</p><p>Troy went back to their office space and called Annie again. "Hey Annie. What were you and Abed talking about before he passed out? He said something about needing you for advertising along with a concept artist? You find anybody?"<br/>
"Britta said she had an idea. She's been taking illustration classes lately, so as long as you guys have blank pieces of paper and blank DVD cases, we could probably help you out. I'll have her send a sketch." Annie offered. <br/>
Troy furrowed his brows in bewilderment. "Britta? She draws? Since when?" <br/>
"She started a few months ago while working the bar and going to Greendale. She's been changing her major a lot, but I really hope she sticks with this because she's actually good at it. She's been doing sketches to help with investigations at the station." Annie explained. <br/>
"Alright. Have her send us a sketch." Troy said as soon as he found a bunch of blank sheets of paper and blank DVD cases lying around in their room. They were haphazardly sprawled around the room as Abed had also been working on taking the movies he collected and putting them in those thin plastic sleeves with their original case covers so he could reuse the cases for his own movies. He had already labeled which DVDs were just the movie and which ones were the "deluxe edition" with all the behind the scenes stuff. Plus, he'd already written down some ideas along with messily scribbled attempts at sketches. <br/>
Troy was absolutely amazed at the amount of work his boyfriend had already done, and even more thrilled for what Britta had in store.</p><p>Britta was nervous to say the least. She hadn't shown anybody her work yet. She was just starting out and she already got a big project dumped on her thanks to her stupid, precious girlfriend. Of course <em>she</em> thought she was good, she <em>had</em> to say that. She was her girlfriend. She was always telling her how amazing she was, especially with her art as of late. She said she had a "natural talent" for it, but it was hard to stick to one thing and believe that you can do it when there's someone better than you telling you "you're the worst". <br/>
She growled and crumpled up the sketch she was working on after erasing and redrawing Abed's unrealistically angular face way too many times. She threw the ball of paper on the ground and nearly pulled her own hair out in frustration. <br/>
Annie came in to check on her girlfriend. <br/>
"Hey Brit, how's the sketch coming along?" <br/>
"Awful." <br/>
Annie sat on the side of her workdesk and swung her legs absentmindedly. "What's the problem?" <br/>
Britta leaned down and picked up the paper smoothing out all the crinkles to show her the sketch. She pointed to the face covered in eraser shavings. "Abed. He's got too many bones." <br/>
Annie tried not to laugh because it sounded like a genuine complaint despite it making no sense. "You mean he's too bony?" <br/>
Britta zoomed in on the reference picture he was using. "Look at him. How the fuck am I supposed draw such defined cheekbones when I'm just learning how to draw a face?" <br/>
Annie got off the desk to get behind Britta and rub her shoulders. "Well first of all, this is a sketch, so stop being so hard on yourself. Second of all, maybe it'd be easier to draw if you kept him zoomed in like this while you tried for the billionth time. You know, get a closer look." <br/>
Britta relaxed into the touch. "Yeah okay.. I just.. What if it sucks.. What if I suck?" <br/>
Annie turned her in her office chair to face her, crouching down to look her dead in the eyes. <br/>
"I would've said something already if you sucked at this. Despite what everyone says, you aren't the worst. Definitely not at this. I mean, you nailed Troy. So just fix Abed's face and you should be good to go." <br/>
Britta nodded slowly. "Yeah, yeah okay."</p><p>Britta took about an hour to make Abed's face correct, then did another sketch just to practice his face structure. Also, that way she'd have an extra in case they didn't like her first idea, or if they wanted different art on the "deluxe edition" Abed keeps raving about. But sure, <em>she's</em> pretentious. <br/>
Britta started art as a way to calm herself down and ended up actually enjoying it enough to keep going. She usually had all this passion and nowhere to put it, but now art finally seemed to be that place. It didn't always have to be perfect, even though sometimes she'd obsess over the little details. The work she did in her art classes never felt like work. Her art teacher was very chill, always helping her out and extending deadlines when needed. Art was the first thing she'd done that she believed she was good at. At least, she was starting to believe she was good at it. She had her doubts, but Annie always hyped her up to make her feel better. She knew when people were being <br/>
passive-agressive or fake-nice to her. Annie wasn't somebody who did that to people, or at least not that she knew. She did say there were people at work who disrespected her, which made Britta wanna march down to that big dumb office building and punch all the shitty CEOs who think they're better than her because they're men and they get paid more. The only thing stopping her was that she knew it'd get her girlfriend fired and she'd never forgive her. <br/>
Britta smiled to herself at the sketches, taking pictures of them and sending them to Annie, who forwarded them to Troy and Abed.</p><p>The first sketch was of the two in their costumes, leaning against the telephone box time-machine, Troy laying his head on Abed's shoulder and Abed having one leg against the box itself. The Inspector had an arm around his Constable and ray gun in his other hand, pointing at something out of frame. The sky in the background was a galaxy with a big full moon that had the title "<em>The New Wave</em>", and the subtitle "a fan-made Inspector Spacetime film". She nearly had them floating but then remembered to add a hill for them to stand on. She put her signature in the corner along with a little doodle of their logo.</p><p>The second sketch was a bit more fun. she drew the two in charred versions of their costumes, walking away mid-handshake from an explosion filled with pieces of the robots they killed, eyeing each other with cheesy grins. She thought about giving them sunglasses, but decided it was too cheesy. She didn't want to make it look like a Michael Bay movie, as Abed would probably kill her for that. <br/>
She made one sleeve of Abed's Inspector coat ripped to expose his shoulder that she added a wound to. She then made his hat look a little crooked. She made one leg of Troy's pants have a whole in it, and gave the shoe of the foot he did the big kick with a broken sole as sort of an Easter egg. <br/>
She wrote the title diagonally across the page, super embossed like the poster to an action movie.</p><p>Troy woke up Abed to show him the sketches. <br/>
"Whoa! These are so cool! Who drew them?" <br/>
"Britta."<br/>
Abed looked at Troy in disbelief. "You're kidding." <br/>
"I know, I couldn't believe it either, but Britta is actually taking art classes. I think the first one would be good for the regular DVD and the poster." <br/>
"Oh yeah. It's beautiful, even for a sketches standards. I like her handwriting and art style." Abed said, holding the sketch and smiling fondly. "I like that the second one too because it's unique to us and it's kinda making fun of action movies. I can see the work she put into them." <br/>
"Okay here." Troy handed him the phone. "Type what you just said. Tell her you like her art. She already knows that me and Annie do." <br/>
"Why can't <em>you</em> do that?" <br/>
Troy winced. "Well, you <em>are</em> the bluntest person we know, so she'll probably think it's a lie if she hears it from me. She thought you'd have at least one thing to criticize about it, and if you didn't, she said she was gonna be really surprised. Like, if you said her art was good she'd actually take it to heart since you aren't the type of person to sugarcoat things to people." <br/>
"Yeah, that's because I don't know how. I always feel bad. Like I'm lying." Abed said as he typed out long paragraphs detailing what he liked about each one.</p><p>Britta was in awe. "<em>You</em> like them? <em>That</em> much?You of all people?" <br/>
"Yeah. I'd tell you if something was wrong with them. You know me." <br/>
"Thanks guys. So, you want me to start cleaning up the sketches to be finalized copies?" <br/>
Abed sent a thumbs up.</p><p>The next day, Abed finished and uploaded the trailer. He sent it in the chat he had with the study group and they all shared it to their Facebooks. He asked Shirley if it was possible to sell it in her sandwich store, but she said it probably wouldn't sell since it's not relevant to what's already there. She suggested it somewhere that already sells DVDs. Once he had a good amount of packaged copies, he started asking around to see if anyone he knew who worked at a video store could get them on the market.</p><p>The one person he never expected, nor wanted help from texted him at the most inconvenient time. <br/>
"I can help you." <br/>
Abed rolled out of bed and slammed his hand on his phone, mistaking it for his wake-up alarm. He looked at the screen. 3am? Text notification? At 3am? Who in their right mind- of course. Chang. <br/>
"How'd you get my number? I thought I blocked you." <br/>
"You did. I CHANG-ed my number. " he said cheesily. "I also work and live at a video store, so I could probably get my boss to sell your movie." <br/>
"I thought you lived and worked at Greendale?" <br/>
"Used to. Then I fell through the ducts again. So, if you can find me a stable place to live, I'll convince my boss to sell your movie." Chang bargained. <br/>
There's always a catch. "The apartment downstairs from us has been empty for ages to the point where our landlord is basically giving it away." <br/>
"That'll do it. Tell your landlord he's got an offer." <br/>
Abed didn't even bother responding. He just went right back to sleep. <br/>
It was <em>way</em> too early for this shit.</p><p>The next morning came, and Abed was woken up by yet another text from Chang. <br/>
"He said he'll sell it in the "New Indie Films" section. Let me text you the address so you can send him some copies." <br/>
<em>At least it wasn't abrasive this time.</em></p><p>By the afternoon, the movie finally on the market. Abed had been letting Troy sleep in, only to shake him awake now to tell him that their movie was out. <br/>
Troy sprung up giddily."Seriously?! You got the copies packaged, somebody to start selling them, the trailer's up, and everything?"<br/>
"Yeah, I know. It's awesome. One thing, though. Chang's gonna be living below us." <br/>
Bout time they gave that old place away." <br/>
"You're not mad or anything?" <br/>
Troy shook his head. "As long as we're doing this, I don't care how."</p><p>Shirley came over to their place with a big cake along with everyone else in the group as a celebration. She had to get on her tiptoes just to reach the knocker. <br/>
Troy answered the door, still in his pajamas. "Hey guys." the cake instantly caught his eye. "Wow, that looks really good!" <br/>
Shirley grinned widely. "Thanks. I wanted to show my love for you two the way I do with everyone: by baking!" <br/>
She brought the cake closer to his face so he could see how hard she worked to write their logo in frosting.<br/>
"That is awesome. You should open a bakery instead of a sandwich shop." Troy gushed. "Abed, the group's here!" he called down the hall.</p><p>Soon the group had all gathered around a big table, enjoying the cake.<br/>
"This is delicious, but you really didn't have to do this." Troy said between bites. <br/>
"Yes I did. You boys are releasing a movie to the whole world, that's a big deal." Shirley said sweetly. <br/>
"It's really not." <br/>
Britta would <em>not </em>let Troy be modest about this. "Yeah it is, even more so given the type of movie you guys are releasing, what with the possible copyright issues, not to mention fans getting mad because they don't like what you did with the character or whatever."</p><p>Abed put a comforting hand on Troy's shoulder before he could even freak out. His boyfriend was always one step ahead of him. They were so deeply connected they were basically telepathically linked. <br/>
"Already put a disclaimer at the beginning of the movie to explain all that." <br/>
"Did you warn them about the gay scene?" <br/>
Jeff laughed a little. "You mean <em>every</em> scene?" "No. If people can't handle a gay Inspector Spacetime movie, they're not ready for the real world. " Abed said simply. "Besides, it'd spoil the whole movie if I did." <br/>
Shirley nodded as she swallowed her bite, pointing her fork at him. "Exactly. I mean, we have that gay Pope, and statistics say one in ten people are gay. If I, as a Christian woman, can learn to accept that the world is changing, so can all those nerds who are totally okay with aliens taking over, but not you two being happy." <br/>
Troy looked at her with surprise. "You're cool with us?" <br/>
Shirley nodded profusely. "I have to be. What if one of my boys ends up gay? Besides, you two are my friends. I have to let you live your lives. I'm not your mom." <br/>
Troy tensed at that. "Speaking of which..What about our families, and old friends? What if they don't like the movie?" <br/>
"You two will always have a family here with us." the dean consoled. <br/>
"If they don't like it, fuck them. They were never real family, or real friends because they didn't like the real you. I know a lot of people are taught to hate what's different when they're growing up, but eventually you have to learn how stupid that is. We will be your family if your blood family rejects you. We will always be your friends because we know it's not cool to be an asshole to somebody because of something they can't control. Don't hide because some people hate you, have pride because even more people love you." <br/>
Abed smiled at him. "Classic Jeff Winger speech. Perfect timing. We needed that." <br/>
"<em>We</em>?" <br/>
"Yeah. I didn't want to say anything, but I'm terrified too. I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't have Troy by my side."</p><p>Shirley, Britta, and Annie all "aw"ed at that while Jeff just groaned at how grossly in love they were. He didn't do relationships, it just wasn't him. Part of him wanted to try, but he couldn't muster up the courage.</p><p>"I was actually worried that you two would hate my art when I first showed it to you. But, I posted it on my twitter along with the trailer, and a lot of people really liked it." Britta handed Troy her phone to show him the post. <br/>
"By the way, you two should probably set up a twitter."</p><p>"One more thing." Annie handed Abed a flyer. "There's a film festival tomorrow. You guys should enter. I think you'd have a pretty good chance of winning."</p><p>Troy set down the phone to look at the flyer with him."This is all so surreal. Thank you all so much for helping us release The New Wave." <br/>
"Yeah, thanks everybody." Abed looked to her. "You most importantly, Annie. You've been a great asset to the team." <br/>
She blushed softly. "I know how much it means to you guys. This is your dream. The rest of the group and I got your back every step of the way."</p><p>They were more than ready to do this now. They finally had a team they could count on, one that always supported them and each other no matter what. <br/>
<br/>
</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>